Morwen was a daughter of Baragund of the House of Bëor, and she married Húrin of the House of Marach. She was the mother of Túrin Turambar, Nienor and Lalaith. She is described as being tall, slender and fair, having a stern and cold disposition. Her son Túrin, but not her daughters, inherited her tendency to keep her emotions and thougths to herself. [1]

After Húrin's departure to fight for Fingon at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Morwen, who was pregnant to their third child, remained in her husband's house as the Lady of Dor-Lómin. After Morgoth's victory at the Nirnaeth, hordes of Easterlings who had betrayed the Edain, invadedHithlum. Even though they took control of the land, they left Morwen and her household alone for a while, believing her to be a witch with dealings with the Elves. She was indeed in contact with small groups of Elves living in the mountains close to her house, but from them she received only information, and that very scant.

Eventually she thought it best to send her only surviving child, Túrin, to Doriath with Gethron and Grithnir to seek refuge. Being pregnant, and out of fear of drawing the Easterlings' attention, Morwen herself remained in Dor-Lómin.

Túrin was adopted by King Thingol, who sent messengers back to Hithlum bringing her news about Túrin's well-being, invitations from Thingol and gifts from Melian. But she refused to leave her home, not the least because her daughter Nienor was still a baby.[1] In her stead she sent to Túrin the dragon-crested Helm of Hador, the heirloom of their house.[2]

Morwen's house was oppressed by Brodda's Easterlings. Meanwhile Túrin, had exiled himself out of Doriath and made himself a hero. The fame of the Black Sword reached to Hithlum, that he was cleansing Beleriand from perils, without Morwen knowing that he was her own son. Nienor now had grown up, Morwen eventually fled the tyranny of Hithlum through Ered Wethrin and came to Doriath, only to find out that her son had left.[3] Túrin's travels also brought him to the north and liberated Dor-Lómin, but it was too late as Morwen and Nienor had long gone.

Having learned that Túrin was under Orodreth's service in Nargothrond, she left Doriath to go there. Mablung was tasked to accompany her. Unknown to both, Nienor had joined them. The women were left back upon Amon Ethir and Mablung set out with a small company to scout Nargothrond as were his orders by Thingol. Yet Glaurung left Nargothrond and Mablung was unable to prevent them both from getting ensnared in the traps of the Dragon.

Morwen, now in her 50's, came to the Forest of Brethil and found the graves of her children at Cabed Naeramarth. Húrin found her there. She felt already spent and she asked her husband how their son found his sister; but Húrin never replied. They spent the night together until she passed away with the sun. Húrin dug for her a grave above Cabed Naeramarth on the west side of the Stone of the Hapless cutting the words Here lies also Morwen Eledhwen.

Morwen means "Dark Maiden" in Sindarin (from môr = "darkness, dark, night" and gwenn = "maiden"). Her epithet,
Eledhwen, means "Elf-maiden" (from edhel = "Elf" and gwenn = "maiden"); Tolkien also translates it as "Elfsheen", which is a rendering of Old Englishælf-scīene "bright as fairy, of elfin beauty". Both definitions are in reference to her noble bearing.